Resources

By Maxim Izmaylov

• 8 articles

Creating and Editing Resources

Resources are everything used in production that isn't a material. For example: employee wages, contractor payments (outsourced manufacturing), utilities (electricity, water, gas), equipment depreciation, and more. Adding a New Resource There are two ways to create a new resource: 1. Click the Add button to create a resource from scratch 2. Copy an existing resource by opening it and clicking Copy To edit a resource, open its details by clicking on the resource name in the list, then click the Edit button. We've written in more detail about adding specific resource categories in separate articles: - Adding employees - Adding utilities - Adding production equipment - Adding overhead costs and commissions Calculation Types When creating a resource, you need to select a calculation type. The calculation type determines how the resource cost is calculated in product cost. Important: the calculation type can only be changed as long as the resource has not been used in production. After that, the calculation type becomes locked. Fixed Rate The resource cost is specified as a fixed amount. Suitable for labor costs, utilities, contract manufacturing. There are two options: Price is set in the resource. Enter the price per unit and select a unit of measure. For example, $15 per hour of work. In the product composition, you will specify the quantity — for example, 2 hours. The resource cost is calculated automatically: $15 × 2 hours = $30. Price is set in product composition. In this case, the price and unit of measure are not specified in the resource. In each product composition, you will enter the resource cost directly in your currency. Quantity is not used. This option is useful when the resource cost varies between products and is not tied to a unit of measure. Percentage The resource cost is calculated as a percentage of cost price or selling price. Suitable for overhead costs, markup, commissions. There are two options: Percentage is set in the resource. Enter the percentage and select the calculation base — cost price or selling price. For example, 10% of cost price. This percentage will be the same for all products that use this resource. Percentage is set in product composition. In this case, the percentage is not specified in the resource. In each product composition, you will enter your own percentage. This option is useful when the percentage varies between products — for example, different commissions or markups depending on the product category. Depreciation The resource cost is gradually allocated to product cost based on useful life. Suitable for equipment, vehicles, tools. When creating the resource, enter the initial cost, useful life, and unit of measure. Depreciation is suitable for resources that have an initial cost and a limited useful life — equipment, vehicles, tools. For employees, contractors, and utilities, use Fixed Rate instead. Important: specify actual operating time, not calendar time. For example, if a machine will last 2 years but will only operate for 2,000 hours during that period, enter 2,000 hours, not 2 years. You can read more about depreciation in a separate article. General Parameters The following parameters are available for all calculation types. Name The resource name. Categories You can organize resources into categories for easier navigation. Multiple categories can be assigned to a single resource. When viewing the resources list, click on a category name to quickly filter the list. Examples of resource categories: utilities, employees, equipment. Notes You can leave any helpful information in the notes field. Files You can attach images and other files to your resources. If you add the Image column in column settings, the first attached image will be shown as the resource preview. To change the order, drag and drop the files.

Last updated on Jan 29, 2026

How to Track Labor Costs

To include labor costs in your product pricing, add your workers as resources in Controlata. Adding a Resource In the Resources section, click Add to create a new resource. We recommend adding workers by their job roles rather than individual names (e.g., "Workshop Operator" or "Assembler"). This approach accounts for interchangeable workers — if one employee is absent, another can perform the same tasks. In the Calculation type field, select Fixed Rate. Setting the Price There are two options for setting up labor costs. Same rate for all products Leave the Rate specified per product toggle off. Enter the worker's rate in the Price field and select a unit of measure. Examples: - If you pay the worker hourly, enter the hourly rate and select Hours as the unit of measure. - If you pay piece-rate for completed work, enter the rate and select the appropriate unit. For example, if a painter earns $5 per square meter, enter $5 as the price and select Square meters. - If the worker receives a fixed monthly salary, divide it by the average working hours per month and enter as an hourly rate. Different cost for different products Turn on the Rate specified per product toggle. In this case, you don't enter the price and unit of measure in the resource — the labor cost will be set separately in each product composition. This option is useful when labor costs vary significantly between products and it's easier to enter the cost directly in your currency rather than calculating through quantity and rate. Category Assign a category to the resource. We recommend creating a separate Employees category for easier filtering. Adding the Resource to a Product After adding workers to the Resources section, include them in your product. Edit the product, open the Resources tab, and add the appropriate resource. - If you set the rate and unit of measure in the resource, enter the quantity — for example, 2 hours of work or 5 square meters of painting. The cost is calculated automatically. - If you turned on Rate specified per product, enter the labor cost in your currency. Save the changes. Now when you manufacture this product, Controlata will include labor costs in your calculations.

Last updated on Jan 29, 2026

How to Track Equipment Depreciation

If you want to include equipment depreciation in your product costs, add your equipment as a resource in Controlata. Adding a Resource In the Resources section, click Add to add your equipment. In the Calculation type field, select Depreciation. Enter the initial cost of the resource — the amount you paid for it. Useful Life Enter the useful life of the resource and select a unit of measure. You can find this in the equipment documentation, or use your own estimate. Important: specify the actual operating time, not calendar time. For example, if you expect the equipment to last 2 years, but it will only operate for 2,000 hours during that period, enter 2,000 hours, not 2 years. Category Assign a category to the resource. We recommend creating a separate Equipment category for easier filtering. Adding the Resource to a Product After adding the equipment to the Resources section, include it in your product. Edit the product, open the Resources tab, and add the appropriate resource. Enter how long the equipment operates to produce one unit of the product. Save the changes. Now when you manufacture this product, Controlata will account for equipment depreciation until it is fully depreciated. For more details on how depreciation works, see our related article.

Last updated on Jan 29, 2026

How to Account for Utilities

If you want to include electricity, water, gas, or other utilities in your product costs, add them as resources in Controlata. Adding a Resource In the Resources section, click Add to create a new utility resource. In the Calculation type field, select Fixed Rate. Enter the resource cost in the Price field and select a unit of measure. For example, the price of electricity per kWh, or water or gas per cubic meter. Category Assign a category to the resource. We recommend creating a separate Utilities category for easier filtering. Adding the Resource to a Product After adding utilities to the Resources section, include them in your product. Edit the product, open the Resources tab, and add the appropriate resource. Enter the consumption — for example, 5 kWh of electricity or 0.5 cubic meters of water. The cost is calculated automatically. Save the changes. Now when you manufacture this product, Controlata will include utility costs in the product cost calculations.

Last updated on Jan 29, 2026

How to Track Overhead Costs and Commissions

If you want to include overhead costs, marketplace commissions, markup, or other percentage-based expenses in your product costs, add them as resources in Controlata. Adding a Resource In the Resources section, click Add to create a new resource. In the Calculation type field, select Percentage. Select the calculation base — Cost price or Selling price. This determines what amount the percentage is calculated from. Setting the Percentage There are two options for setting up the percentage. Same percentage for all products Leave the Percentage specified per product toggle off. Enter the percentage in the Percentage field. For example, if you want to add 15% overhead costs to all products, enter 15. This percentage will be automatically applied to all products that use this resource. Different percentage for different products Turn on the Percentage specified per product toggle. In this case, you don't enter the percentage in the resource — it will be set separately in each product composition. This option is useful when the percentage varies between products — for example, different marketplace commissions depending on the product category, or different markup for different product groups. Category Assign a category to the resource. We recommend creating a separate Overhead or Commissions category for easier filtering. Adding the Resource to a Product After adding the resource to the Resources section, include it in your product. Edit the product, open the Resources tab, and add the appropriate resource. - If you set the percentage in the resource, it will be applied automatically. - If you turned on Percentage specified per product, enter the percentage for this product. Save the changes. Now when you manufacture this product, Controlata will calculate the resource cost as a percentage of cost price or selling price.

Last updated on Jan 29, 2026

Depreciation in Detail

What is Depreciation Depreciation is the gradual allocation of a resource's cost into the manufacturing cost of your products. For example, if you've purchased an expensive machine and want to account for its cost in your manufactured products, you can set it up as a depreciable resource by specifying its initial cost and useful life. Once you add this resource to a product, its cost will be factored into the product's cost until it's fully depreciated. For instance, if a machine costs $100,000 and has an expected operational life of 5,000 hours, with each part requiring 2 hours of machine time, the cost allocation per part would be: $100,000 / 5,000 hrs * 2 hrs = $40 This amount will be included in each part's cost until you manufacture: $100,000 / $40 = 2,500 parts After this point, the machine's cost will be fully depreciated and will no longer factor into your product costs. Depreciation Method The system uses the straight-line depreciation method. This means the resource's cost will be evenly distributed across products throughout its useful life. In the example above, each of the 2,500 manufactured parts will include $40 of resource depreciation in its cost. Depreciable Resource Details The depreciable resource card displays essential information about the depreciation process: - Initial Cost — the cost you specified when creating the resource - Useful Life — the operational time you specified when creating the resource - Price — calculated using the formula Initial Cost / Useful Life - Residual Value — the portion of the resource's cost that hasn't been depreciated yet, calculated as Price * Remaining Useful Life - Remaining Useful Life — how much operational time remains according to the specified useful life - Accumulated Depreciation Period — how much the resource has already been used

Last updated on Jan 29, 2026

Resource Usage History

When you open a resource's details, you'll see a table with the history of all operations involving this resource. This table includes all production runs where the resource was used. If the resource is depreciable, the sum of all values in the “Quantity” column will match the resource's remaining useful life.

Last updated on Jan 29, 2026

Archiving and Deleting Resources

Archiving a Resource Archiving allows you to hide a resource from active use while keeping the option to restore it at any time. To archive a resource, open its card and click Archive. You can also archive multiple resources at once by selecting them in the list and clicking Archive in the bottom popup menu. To view the list of archived resources, click the three dots in the upper right corner of the resources screen and select Archived Resources. To restore a resource from the archive, use the Unarchive button — this can also be done for multiple resources at once. How does archiving work? Archived resources are not available when creating or editing product compositions, but they remain in all previously created productions and in product compositions. Deleting a Resource To delete a resource, open its card and click Delete. You can also delete multiple resources at once by selecting them in the list and clicking Delete in the bottom popup menu. Warning: Deleting a resource is irreversible. A deleted resource cannot be restored. How does deletion work? The resource will be removed from the composition of products where it was included. All existing production orders with this resource will remain unchanged — the resource will still appear in them but will be displayed as crossed out. When updating a production order, the system will apply the current list of resources, which no longer includes the deleted resource, and it will disappear from the production.

Last updated on Jan 29, 2026